How mountain bike expertise offers Tom Pidcock and Mathieu van der Poel an edge on the street

Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) has a particular benefit over most of his rivals on the street – his mountain bike experience.

That’s the shared view of Eurosport’s lead mountain bike commentator Ric McLaughlin and biking skilled Dan Lloyd, who stated that the British multi-discipline star is extra more likely to swerve hazard on the bike due to his superior skillset.

“You actually see the distinction within the professional peloton between riders which have solely ever finished street racing and those who have gotten both a background in monitor racing, cyclo-cross or mountain biking,” stated Lloyd on The Breakaway forward of Stage 19 on the Giro d’Italia.

“And I feel Pidcock is a key instance of that. He’s simply at residence on his bike as a result of he grew up doing jumps, simply mucking round within the native park or woods.

“It’s a bit like Peter Sagan. They not often crash and are all the time in the best place on the proper time. That’s not by probability, he’s simply so at residence on his bike and capable of do stuff that different individuals aren’t capable of do.”

Pidcock is likely one of the most versatile riders within the peloton and already boasts Olympic mountain bike gold, a cyclo-cross world title and victory on Alpe d’Huez after a descending and climbing masterclass eventually yr’s Tour de France.

He loved a stellar Spring Classics marketing campaign on the street in 2023 as he took a superb solo victory at Strade Bianche and claimed podiums at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Amstel Gold.

“I feel mountain biking offers you that point, these fractions of a second to cope with an axel shedding grip, to only appropriate it and be at residence. That’s one thing that comes very early on in a profession,” stated McLaughlin.

Requested whether or not Pidcock and Van der Poel’s rivals get irritated that the pair are airdropped into mountain bike races, recurrently snatching glory after which disappearing once more, McLaughlin stated: “I don’t assume so. Particularly in cross-country, they’re very well-versed in cyclo-cross, a number of them have raced street earlier of their profession.

“To have the ability to descend the best way Pidcock and Van der Poel can, that’s simply nice bike using and that will get respect.

“Large names are additionally huge targets. You’ve obtained an opportunity to beat Pidcock or Van der Poel and for a profession that’s doubtlessly ground-breaking.”

‘I need to return and defend my title’ – Pidcock dreaming of Paris 2024 glory

“This yr my purpose in mountain biking is to win the Worlds,” Pidcock stated forward of his triumphant outing at Nove Mesto.

“Final yr I fell ailing the week earlier than. I nonetheless ended up fourth which I’m fairly amazed with, I simply completed and I used to be utterly empty, mentally and bodily. This yr I need to return, particularly with it being in Glasgow.

“I’m additionally targeted on the Olympics subsequent yr. I need to return and defend my title for certain. After Tokyo, I simply realised the Olympics transcends biking. I all the time needed to win the Highway Worlds or the Tour de France – the Tour can be huge – however the Olympics…

“Nobody cares the place the medal comes from. It doesn’t matter whether or not it’s in ping pong or balancing a ball in your head. A gold medal is a gold medal. And everybody is aware of about it. That’s what makes it particular. It means extra, in a approach.”

The UCI Mountain Bike World Sequence continues in Italy on June 2-4 with Enduro and Marathon occasions, whereas the Olympic Cross-country, Brief-track and Downhill disciplines return in Lenzerheide, Switzerland from June 8-11.

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